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to exonerate

to exonerate

129 8.2
To say officially that someone is not guilty of a crime
  • verb
  • /ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : exonerar
  • Thomas hoped the trial would exonerate both Fletcher and the truth of Spiritualism.
  • exonerating evidence
  • convicted or exonerated
  • attempt to exonerate

The truth exonerates and it convicts.

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Examples

  • And the public also made it clear they weren't about to exonerate any health worker.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I tested the evidence in his case, and that evidence failed to exonerate him.

  • In early March, that committee exonerated him of six of the eight charges.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Justice will prevail, and my client will be exonerated.

  • Dreyfus was eventually exonerated of all charges and made the night of the Legion of Honour.

  • Nifong, now 57, faces a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit from the exonerated lacrosse players.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Aaron Davis, the former gang leader indicted for the murder of sibling Shanna Garfield has been exonerated after years of incarceration.

  • The new evidence presented in court was enough to exonerate the defendant from all charges.

  • After a thorough investigation, the committee decided to exonerate her of any wrongdoing.

  • The findings of the report will likely exonerate him from the accusations made last year.

Synonyms

to absolve
vsto exonerate
  • Formal
50 7.2

Make someone officially free from blame, guilt, or responsibility

is specifically a legal clearing from criminal charges rather than moral forgiveness
to acquit
vsto exonerate
28 7.4

To say in court that someone is not guilty

is broader and can clear blame outside court procedures
to discharge
vsto exonerate
  • Formal
5 7.2

Officially say that someone is not guilty of a crime

is a general clearing from blame beyond formal statements
to exculpate
vsto exonerate
  • Formal
3 9.9

To say officially that someone is not guilty of a crime

is the legal act of clearing someone from blame or responsibility
to assoil
vsto exonerate
  • Archaic
9.9

To say someone is not guilty of a crime

is the standard modern official term for clearing criminal blame

Antonyms

82 7.2

Show that someone helped commit a crime

How Cleared

to exonerate
  • Formal
129 8.2
to acquit
28 7.4
to vindicate
54 8.6
clear
257 3.8

Surface Forms

exonerate infinitive
exonerated past
exonerated past participle
exonerating present participle
exonerates third person singular

Morphology

exonerate = oner (opaque) = ex + oner + ate

The connection to 'oner' is not immediately clear due to the specialized legal context of 'exonerate'.

Etymology

Exonerate comes from the Latin parts ex- meaning 'out' and onus meaning 'burden', so it literally means 'take the burden away'. So to exonerate someone is to lift the 'burden' of blame from them and officially say they are not guilty.